Wood or coal cooking is associated with a risk of lung disease and death

Burning
wood or coal for cooking is associated with an increased risk of
hospitalization or death from respiratory illness, according to a new
study conducted in China and published online in the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences report that hospitalizations or deaths of chronic and acute respiratory illnesses were 36% in those who used wood or coal for cooking, instead of those who used electricity or gas.

Researchers also report that the longer people use solid fuels, the greater the risk of hospitalization or death from respiratory disease than those who cooked with gas or electricity. Those who use wood or coal for 40 years or longer have a 54% higher risk of hospitalization or death from respiratory illnesses, while those switching from solid fuels to clean burning fuels reduce their risk to only 14% higher than those who have never been burned on wood or coal.